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Ingredients

  • 6 egg replacer (I used Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer)
  • 2 cups flour
  • zest of 1/2 of an orange
  • zest of one lemon
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 4 tablespoons vegan butter at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon dry white wine
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon apricot preserves (or orange marmalade)
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • sprinkles for topping

This signature dessert from Naples, Italy is served on holidays (particularly Christmas). It’s traditionally made of little fried balls of dough, mixed with honey, and topped with sprinkles. This vegan version uses maple syrup and apricot preserves instead of honey, giving it a nice sweetness and consistency like the original version. The other difference in this dish is that it is baked instead of fried. I just don’t like deep frying things; mainly for the mess, and the heavy smell of oil frying. I would imagine that an air fryer would work well here, so if you have one, I would definitely try that out. But since I do not have an air fryer, this method worked really well. Happy Holidays!

Directions

Prepare the egg replacer and set aside for a few minutes to thicken. Add the flour, orange and lemon zest, sugar, salt, baking powder, butter, wine, vanilla and egg replacer to a food processor. Process until it forms a sticky dough. Remove the dough with a spatula and wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper. Put it in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour. Preheat the oven to 375F. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece to about a 1/4″ thick. Cut into 1/2″ strips, and then cut the strips into 1/2″ squares. Roll each square into a ball the size of a marble. Try to get them to all be close in size. Repeat with the remaining dough. Arrange the balls in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes, turning them over halfway through baking time. You’ll want them to still be a bit soft, so check them after 15 minutes. Remove from oven when done and set aside to cool. In a saucepan, add the maple syrup, apricot preserves and lemon juice. Set on medium heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for another few minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add in the baked dough balls. Stir with a spoon or spatula to coat. Pour the mixture onto a serving dish to let cool. Top with some sprinkles.